IN HOC SIGNO VINCES

Six civilians killed, injured in eastern Baghdad bomb blast

Baghdad – Three civilians were killed, while three others were wounded in a bomb blast in eastern Baghdad.

A bomb exploded near a market in east of Baghdad, Cap. Ahmed al-Saadi, of Baghdad police, told Petra news agency on Saturday.

The blast left three civilians killed and three others injured.

On Friday, nine persons were killed and injured in two bomb blasts that occurred in south and west of Baghdad.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 297 Iraqis, were killed and injured due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of ِAugust. Baghdad was the most affected province with 45 deaths and 135 injuries.

Baghdad has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary groups and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake IS-occupied areas in 2016. While most of of the explosions and attacks went without a claim of responsibility, Islamic State has claimed several incidents.

Despite the group’s defeat in its main havens across Iraqi provinces, observers believe the group may still constitute a security threat.